Patrick Daniel Tillman, Jr. (November 6, 1976 – April 22, 2004) was an American football player who left his professional sports career and enlisted in the United States Army in May 2002.

He served in Iraq and later in Afghanistan, as a member of the 75th Ranger Regiment, where he was killed. His decision, and subsequent death, were the subject of much media attention. More controversy ensued when, on May 28, 2004, the Pentagon notified the Tillman family that he had died as a result of a friendly fire incident; the family and other critics alleged that the Department of Defense delayed the disclosure for weeks after Tillman's memorial service out of a desire to protect the image of the U.S. armed forces.

The tragedy here was not that Pat Tillman was killed by friendly fire, this has happened in wars since the beginning of time. It was the subsequent cover up that was a crime here. Was it really concerns that recruiting would be so severely impacted by this disclosure or was something more nefarious? Had word of Tillman's disaffection for the Iraqi war reached those in power? Was this why he was in Afghanistan and not Iraq? Was the military covering up the fact that many of troops deployed lacked the necessary training to avoid killing their fellow soldiers during combat, because of a rush to deploy? Had Tillman lacked the necessary personal body armor that could have saved his life?

Despite the recent investigations and reports issued by the military, many of these questions remained unresolved. The horror of war is bad enough without added incompetence and malice.

Tillman's brother and mother gave great testimony at the Senate hearing. I hope the investigation will continue, families at least should have the truth.

Little consolation, but better than being lied to.

And the public should know--what kind of military do we have, anyway? Little guys get killed, big fish get off?

The most disturbing part of this testimony was when Tillman's mother related the attitude of one of the Army Generals with whom she had spoken. He had told her that since the family were atheists, they had no reason to be concerned since that meant the family believed the only thing about being dead was one was now "worm soil."

This religious bigot felt if you weren't a Christian death means nothing. I guess this is part of what enables our military to demonize the 'enemy' in Iraq and at home.

_________________“I'm not a member of any organized party. I'm a Democrat.”-Will Rogers

Again, this is something I heard so have no link. It was asked if there is anything that can be done about that General's hurtful, bigotted remarks. The vague answer was there seems to be nothing in the rules that are against it.

And think about this, as reported by Mike Fish of ESPN.com: The Army officer who directed the first official inquiry into his death, Lt. Col. Ralph Kauzlarich, told Fish that he didn't feel driven to identify Tillman's killer or killers, that it didn't really matter, that there would have been no fuss except for Tillman's celebrity and his family's insistence, which might be traced to their lack of Christian faith.

Lt. Col. Kauzlarich added: "When you die, I mean, there is supposedly a better life, right? Well, if you are an atheist and you don't believe in anything, if you die, what is there to go to? Nothing. You are worm dirt. So for their son to die for nothing, and now he is no more -- that is pretty hard to get your head around that. So I don't know how an atheist thinks. I can only imagine that that would be pretty tough."

And think about this, as reported by Mike Fish of ESPN.com: The Army officer who directed the first official inquiry into his death, Lt. Col. Ralph Kauzlarich, told Fish that he didn't feel driven to identify Tillman's killer or killers, that it didn't really matter, that there would have been no fuss except for Tillman's celebrity and his family's insistence, which might be traced to their lack of Christian faith.

Lt. Col. Kauzlarich added: "When you die, I mean, there is supposedly a better life, right? Well, if you are an atheist and you don't believe in anything, if you die, what is there to go to? Nothing. You are worm dirt. So for their son to die for nothing, and now he is no more -- that is pretty hard to get your head around that. So I don't know how an atheist thinks. I can only imagine that that would be pretty tough."

If he thought long enough and hard enough on it he might come to realize that atheists went through his thought process' and arrived at a better conclusion about things. So since he admits he doesn't know what an atheist thinks it's obvious he can't get his head out of a box, and so finds it quite comfortable to leave his head up his ass as long as the president or his god tells him to remain so.

Or he could lose his job, OR he can't hear from all the crap stuck in his ears from stuffing his head so far up his ass that hemorrhoids and extraction are past concerns, just like the quagmire in Iraq.

"Hey DICKHEAD, can't you hear ALL the Billions of people around the world yelling at you to get your head out of your ass"?

"To us christians who've thought on it, that's how we show we love our neighbour!!! Just like god told us and it must be important because it's #2 in his top ten list of things thou shalt do or thou shalt un-do! We especially like the un-doing part. Like when we undo your head from your body!! Fun

"Ain't it great to be a non thinking christian. Makes me not wonder what atheists think when I can come up with some real clever but idiotic answers". Duhhhhh. These are our leaders????

_________________Completely sane world
madness the only freedom

An ability to see both sides of a question
one of the marks of a mature mind